Leading, Learning, Questioning

Ed Leadership

8 Big Ideas From #TCEA17

Posted on February 9, 2017February 10, 2017by Aaron Hogan

I made it back home from TCEA. As is often the case after a great conference full of amazing sessions and incredible educators, I’m just drowning in good ideas. Last year, I posted 10 Big Ideas From #TCEA16 after returning home, and I’m bringing back that style of post here.

I could probably go into a separate blog post on each of these ideas (and I very well may at some point), but for now, this is all about capturing and documenting my learning from the past three days (and sharing it out in case it’s beneficial for you). I hope the ideas challenge you and support you in your growth as you make your way through the spring semester.

While TCEA is a huge tech conference, these ideas aren’t dripping with EdTech implications. More than anything, they challenge me to make manageable changes and convict me where I haven’t done enough work to rethink “the way we’ve always done it” in our schools.

Without further ado, here are 8 sticky ideas from this year’s TCEA conference.

You cannot keep up with it all. But if you are connected, you have a much better chance of keeping up with much more. – Amber Teamann

Learning and fun are not antonyms. – Adam Bellow

When we do things, we do what’s best for kids. If you can tell me why it’s not best for kids, we won’t do it. Otherwise, we do it. – Todd Nesloney

‪If parents only know what’s going on in class because of our homework, we need to do better. – Alice Keeler

Being a workaholic is not a virtue. – Alice Keeler

If you want to teach students responsibility, give them a responsibility in class. Homework doesn’t teach that. – Alice Keeler

‪If you weren’t allowed to assign homework, how would you redesign your class? – Matt Miller

Giving people a chance to contribute is powerful. – Dean Shareski

It’s likely that you probably agree with some of these ideas and want to push back on some of the others. That’s great. The more we think critically about what it is we should be doing as educators, the better off we will be. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have come across so many educators who are doing so much to serve the students in their care as best they know how.

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Ed Leadership

Making the Most of TCEA #TCEA17

Posted on February 5, 2017February 5, 2017by Aaron Hogan

I’m headed to Austin, TX this week to be part of a huge EdTech conference called TCEA (that’s the Texas Computer Educators Association). Like most excellent education conferences these days, there is no shortage of valuable information to be learned at TCEA. In fact, quite the opposite is the problem. It’s very much the “drinking from a fire hose” experience. So much is great at so many turns that even in the short time I was there last year, I had to stop and put everything on hold one afternoon or risk not retaining everything as I floated in the sea of knowledge that engulfed the Austin Convention Center.

So, I’ve been thinking about my TCEA16 experience as I’m about to begin this year’s event, and there are a few reminders I had for myself. Maybe they’ll help you out, too.

In any case, if you are headed to the event (I hope you are; it’s amazing), I hope your week is packed full of interesting conversations, challenging new ideas, and the perfect mix of tips that will help you impact learning for the better the following week and leave you thinking and rethinking through the way you do your work for months to come.

Without further ado, here’s how I plan to tackle the week (or at least my three days there):

Tip #1 – Reconnect with someone

The best thing about #TCEA16 wasn’t the amazing speakers (who were absolutely awesome), the incredible opportunities to learn from others, or the guilt free time to invest in my own learning away from the day to day stresses that come with being an assistant principal. No, by far, the absolute best thing about being at TCEA last year was being with people there.

There are just so many phenomenal educators innovating across Texas (and the rest of the country and world for that matter) that missing out on this opportunity to find and reconnect with some of those folks is just something we can’t miss.

But not everyone goes into a conference like this expecting to see some familiar faces. That’s ok, and tip #2 will be perfect for you if you find yourself in that situation.

Tip #2 – Connect with someone new

Not only did I have the chance to reconnect with a few folks I’d met previously, but I also had the chance to meet an incredible group of people from my PLN face to face. I can remember it like it was yesterday. I walked into my first session, Angela Maiers was speaking, but three friends were sitting across the room. We saw each other, and although we had never been in the same room, we instantly knew each other. It was nothing short of amazing to be standing there with these people who I knew from our connections online (whether it be Twitter chats, Voxer groups, or their blogs).

In a few years in our connected, I think this will become more and more the norm. But for now, it’s still surprising and sort of incredible to little old introverted me. Needless to say, the kickoff of TCEA16 did not disappoint. I’m really pumped about this year’s event.

Beyond that, those faces that I didn’t know in the crowd soon turned into familiar faces as we worked through some of the same sessions together. Conversations sparked throughout the short time I attended last year, and I’m looking forward to this process continuing this year.

Get to know the people sitting next to you. In our connected world, they’re going to be your allies as you all move back to campus and begin the change process all across our country.

Tip #3 – Hang out in the Playgrounds

I don’t know that I can overstate how overwhelmingly huge TCEA is. When I went last year, it was the first really massive conference I had ever attended. Sure, I had annually attended College Board training (which was invaluable to my survival and success as a high school English teacher), but those events never brought the same size and scale as TCEA (900+ sessions are advertised at this point… That’s a lot of options…).

All those options bring me to tip #3. At some point (really, at many points) you will end up with too many options or shut out of your first few choices. My suggestion is to head to the YOUnited and YOUniverse Playgrounds.

It’s an area on the first floor that can always fit one more standing person, and there are often chairs you can putt up from nearby to join the conversations happening there. If the environment wasn’t enough, the folks who are sharing here are top notch. Kasey Bell, Alice Keeler, Shannon Miller, Todd Nesloney, Eric Sheninger, Adam Bellow, Dean Shareski, and many, many more incredible educators will be setting up shop in these informal environments. Take advantage of the unique opportunities that seemed to come up regularly here last year. If all else fails, head to the playground. You won’t be disappointed.

Tip #4 – Tweet your learning to the #TCEA17 hashtag

When you get into those sessions, start tweeting out your learning. It’s imperative that we get the word out about what will make a difference for students, and there’s no easier way to do that than by Tweeting it out. If you include the #TCEA17 hashtag, you’ll add to the collective knowledge that’s being shared out by the entire conference (or at least by those who are doing it right).

When you do that, not only are you sharing your learning with others, but you are also taking notes for yourself. I love that I can head over to Twitter and search for my username and last year’s hashtag and come up with all this information documented for me to revisit any time I like. It’s not something I need to reference all the time, but every now and then I’ll be looking for a quotation from the conference or a link to an article or a Google Drive folder and there it all is.

Bonus tip: If you come across great nuggets that you want to get noticed a little more, create a few images to Tweet out. Here’s a post that chronicles a few of the sticky ideas I came across last year.

Tip #5 -Recap your learning often

Going through the process of taking notes is good. Sharing those highlight ideas as Tweets is even better. But leaving all that raw material on the page or on social media will only take you so far.

At the end of each day (or sometimes even at a mid day break), you have to take time to brain dump all that learning down into some useable nuggets. Think of it this way: What’s going to fall on your to do list for next week, before spring break, this spring semester, or by next fall? Plan things out. Categorize them. Put reminders in your calendar so your phone will remind you of those great end of year ideas or that brilliant concept for something at the beginning of next year.

I failed to do this last year at TCEA, and I’m sure I missed out on opportunities to equip teachers in the process. I fixed that at a summer conference, and I’ve committed to doing this faithfully at each conference I’ve attended since then. It’s made a profound difference.

Tip #6 – Blog your learning

Don’t skip past this. The next one’s not any easier.

Once you’ve got that set of notes or Tweets and you’ve arranged your thoughts into a manageable timeline of implementation, take time to blog your ideas out.

Yes, I know that all the excuses are there:

I don’t have anything to say
I’m not a good writer
Other people will be sharing about this already
Will anyone read what I have to say?
What if someone doesn’t like what I have to say?
But I’ve never blogged before

Honestly, we could go on for a while with others, but the reality is that although blogging is scary, this sort of reflection is vital to your growth as an educator. John Dewey says that, “We do not learn from experience… We learn from reflecting on experience.” If we believe that (and I do), then it’s no enough to simply take notes and make a plan. If we want to learn (and why would we be at a conference like this if we didn’t?), we need to get busy doing this and doing it well. Here’s a link to the only blog reflection I really did from TCEA last year.

It doesn’t have to be great at first. Just write down where you’re at, what you’re learning, and what you’re trying. That’s it. You don’t have to do anything other than to share what you are learning. If you can do that (and, yes, you can do that), you are a blogger.

When you become a blogger, your risks go more public, but so does your learning. With the accountability that’s included of having yourself our there, you are more likely to get more done, and, in the process, others are going to learn from seeing your reflections. I highly recommend it.

If you’re still not confident you can make this happen, join me on Thursday morning in Room 13AB from 8:00-9:00am. My session, “How Blogging Improved My Practice,” is really not about me much at all. Instead, it’s about setting you and others like you up to confidently share your learning online for your benefit and that of others. Whether you join me for that hour or not, take time to blog your learning. You will not regret it!

Tip #7 – Become an expert at something useful

Finally, leave with an expertise you didn’t arrive at TCEA with. None of this experience is cheap in terms of time, energy, or cost incurred. Have something to show for it when you return home (and not just great personal learning for yourself). Go into TCEA knowing what those you serve need and with a plan to find it and package it well for them when you return. You get the chance to be the hero to them. Make it happen!

I hope you have a blast at the conference, and as odd as it seems, I hope to maybe run into someone who’s read this. It’ll help us both accomplish a goal and get better as educators in the process. Isn’t that what we’re all psyched up about doing this week anyway?

Inspiration

Ninja Warrior

Posted on January 19, 2017by Aaron Hogan

My boys love watching American Ninja Warrior. They’re fascinated by the athletes and the seemingly impossible obstacles and adversity that are overcome each and every show. I am, too. They know the names of their favorite ninjas, and they spend an inordinate amount of time jumping off of stuff around our home after watching each episode.

In case you’re not familiar with American Ninja Warrior, here’s a quick example of what the show is like:

In no uncertain terms, what they do is amazing. Absolutely incredible.

As much as I don’t love some of the side effects (mostly how everything in my house has the tendency to end up pushed a few inches from where it previously rested as my boys jump from “obstacle” to “obstacle” imitating their favorite ninjas), there is a lot that I really like about my boys watching American Ninja Warrior.

Here’s a bit of what I like most:

Unpredictable challenges
On American Ninja Warrior, the courses always offer unique challenges. No two courses are exactly alike. One course might rely heavily on upper body challenges, while another forces athletes to overcome obstacles that require intense upper body strength. The obstacles are unique and provide a reasonable (even if they initially seem insurmountable) challenge to stretch the ninja warriors to do more than they thought they could before.

Learning from each other
Nearly every successful ninja who shares his or her story includes the team that is vital to their success. The hours of preparation, the practice to develop the strength and skills that these athletes need to do the seemingly impossible is rooted in a community of folks who are dedicated to doing the little things to develop those qualities that will allow each ninja to perform under pressure.

Shared success
Watching the event is unlike any other sporting event I’ve come across. In most instances, there is a clear cut winner and loser. That’s not the case here. Certainly it’s clear who accomplishes the most in the competition, but the camaraderie between the ninjas and the genuine excitement they share for each other with each passing obstacle is something unique to this show. The greatest excitement is in seeing who can conquer the most obstacles, who can do what’s never been done before.

Everybody falls
This is probably my favorite part about American Ninja Warrior. The show not a contest where you can outlast your opponent. You can’t strategize and run out the clock. It’s just you, the obstacles, and all the people who want to want to see you succeed. Still, everyone ends up in the water. If you conquer all the challenges on one night, more await you. They’re welcomed. Even sought after. Because that’s the point. The show exists to help athletes push themselves to do what they thought impossible.

As we watched the show together, though, I began to realize that not only do I want these qualities developed in my kids, I also want a deeper understanding and a greater display of these qualities in myself.

It’s kind of a requirement for us to be successful in our roles in schools, right?

Think about it: When have you not had a week that came without unforeseen obstacles? When have you not spent time watching other educators in their element and not come away better for it? How often have you heard a story of success in another classroom and been energized to go and do likewise in yours?

Maybe there’s a tiny bit of room for debate on the other qualities, I am sure about this. Every single last one of us has known failure. And the nature of our work means that those are not experiences that are had in private. They’re as public as watching an athlete falling into the water after an attempt at doing something amazing.

So, hardworking educator who feels like the obstacles keep coming:

You are not alone.

Learn from those around you.

Watch for those educators who will inspire you.

Share the stories of your successes.

Be honest about the reality of setbacks faced, but use them as the springboard toward your next success story.

And don’t forget: When we’re pushing ourselves to do amazing things, everybody falls. Keep tackling those obstacles, no matter what they may look like.

Ed Leadership

4 Videos That Inspire Perseverance

Posted on December 4, 2016by Aaron Hogan

Grit. Perseverance. Tenacity. Growth Mindset.

We all know we need these qualities. We all know that students need them, too.

Admittedly, each term has its own nuances to it, but when I look at them, they seem to be in the same family of characteristics that I want students (and myself) to have.

But for as much as we talk about these in our schools, it sure can seem like it’s hard to find them at times.

In some educational conversations, I grow tired of the same, well worn paths being covered over and over, but not with these. Even the repetition of these ideas doesn’t bother me. In fact, it’s probably what I need most.

What I need to do is remember the things that are too easy to forget.

Things like Angela Duckworth’s reminder that, “Grit is living life like a marathon, not like a sprint.” Things like the value of a growth mindset. Stuff that’s really simple, but when lived out causes a profound impact.

More than just being told about these things we’ve all heard a bit about, stories help drive home the importance of these qualities when I begin to forget. Here are a few of my favorite videos from ESPN that remind me of the rewards for getting this right.

Spirit to Soar is about Charlotte Brown, a Texas high school pole vaulter whose vision has deteriorated to the point that she is legally blind. Yep. You read that right. She’s a blind pole vaulter. Undaunted in the face of what many would consider insurmountable challenge, Brown’s story is pretty incredible. It’s a great one to share with students as they approach the end of a semester, and part of the story really lends itself to conversation about what we listen to and what we allow to distract us. I think those are always conversations worth having.

Longshot tells the story of Stephen Curry before he became STEPH CURRY, NBA champion, league MVP, able to make half court shots look routine, king of the basketball world (at least for a time, for some). He’s great now, but what I love about the video is the way that it focuses on Steph’s struggles as a young athlete. I have two favorite sections: one about breaking down his shot as a young shooter and one about what his coach at Davidson saw in him. I love the idea that the thing Curry is most famous for now was once his weakness. That’s a powerful message for students (and for adults) to hear. I also love the way Curry’s coach talks about what he saw in Curry’s game; it’s a powerful reminder of the power we posses as educators to build others up, even when some don’t see potential in students.

Catching Kayla is another track and field story, but this one focuses more on the power of relationships and the ways we can support students as educators. Kayla excels as an athlete, but she does that in the face of medical conditions that allow her to continue to compete, but prevent her from even having the strength to stand after finishing her races. It’s a great reminder of the power of giving it our all and the importance of knowing our limits. I think it’s a great reminder of the value of having someone who is there to help when we have given all we have. A great lesson for students and educators alike.

Drive tells the story of Richie Parker. He’s not an athlete, but he does work for Hendrick Motorsports. What makes Richie unique is his drive to let nothing stop him from doing what others can do. Also, he was born with no arms. This video is great to put me in my place when I start to think that life is hard. Certainly there is a time for that, but it’s not a place where I want to dwell. Parker’s story, attitude, and grit push me to be better for myself and others.

It’s worth mentioning that we can really pigeonhole the whole conversation by exclusively likening it to these sorts of “athlete who overcomes” stories, but I think there’s some real value to having these stories out there. They resonate deeply, and they’re a great entry point into the conversation or into a deeper version of it.

So I hope these are useful for you or your colleagues or your students. Really I hope they are useful for all of those groups. We’ve all given a lot up until this point, but our students deserve the best as we finish out the semester.

How will you inspire yourself & others to finish the year with as much excitement as you started?

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How can you use these videos in your classroom or on your campus? What are the other videos that are worth including alongside these? What will you do to help students and teachers finish the semester strong over the next few weeks?

Inspiration

12 Can’t Miss Blog Posts

Posted on November 28, 2016November 28, 2016by Aaron Hogan

It’s no overstatement to say that blogging has had an incredible impact on my life over the past two years. I’ve written about the impact getting connected has had on me recently (here’s the link if you’re interested), and a great deal of the growth has come through reading and writing blogs.

I’ve come across so much that’s great this year that I wanted to share a few great posts from 2016.

As we return to school, we have but a short few weeks to make an impact on those we serve. The ideas I came across in these posts challenged me and stuck with me, and I want to pass them along your way in case you’re up for the challenge, too.

I’ll go ahead and say this because it applies to each of these posts: I love the post, the blog is a must follow, and the educators who are putting this down are beyond remarkable. They’re inspirational. They’re not perfect, but they’re doing what’s right by kids. That’s all that we can ask of anyone, right?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the posts. Share some of the memorable posts you’ve come across in the comments. I’d love to see the posts that were memorable to you this year!

Blogging is Your Job by George Couros was just the right mix of challenge and affirmation that I needed. I keep reposting it because I often forget the importance of it. Couros writes about the vital role that reflection plays in our own growth and makes it pretty plain that we cannot afford to treat things like blogging as anything other than crucial to our success.

Graduating with Empathy by Ryan Jackson challenged me to not only value empathy but also think about how we are instilling this virtue in our students each and every day. I thought about it in the spring for the high school students I served, and I think about it frequently for the 5th and 6th graders I serve this year. As a leader, getting empathy right is of great importance to me, and I’m thankful for Jackson’s words on the subject here.

Growing as Professionals by Jeff Mann is a great reminder of the need to be constantly pushing ourselves forward. Mann calls us to be thinking about what needs rethinking and to make sure we’re taking time to reflect on that individually and collectively.

Why Duct Tape and Cardboard Might Be Better a Better Option Than a 3D Printer by John Spencer pushes us past the glitz and glamour of all the new toys that dominate much of the innovation and makerspace conversation into the reality that we all need to exist in: It doesn’t have to be flashy to be innovative and what’s best for students. His fresh perspective encouraged me to keep asking how we can accomplish great things without depending on having every great tool.

Shifting the Grading Mindset Starts With Our Words by Starr Sackstein is the blog post that has started pushed me into countless conversations on grades, assessment, homework, and learning. While many are quick to start the conversation about what they dislike, Starr’s post here (as is her habit) focuses not on what we need to ditch but on appropriate replacements for our standard vocabulary surrounding grades. Whether you’re new to the conversation or quite comfortable, the post will push you in the right direction.

Know Your Place and Be Intentional by Jeremy Stewart is a post by a good friend of mine about a mutual friend of ours who passed away in the spring. I could go on about it, but I like his words better.

Coffee Talk by Chad Lehrmann is all about Chad’s first steps into redesigning his classroom and all the thoughts that accompany a change of that magnitude. Chad is doing incredible things in his classroom, and I could have pulled any number of posts to highlight here.

#Booksnaps – Snapping for Learning by Tara Martin still freaks me out. I’m not on Snap Chat (well, I’m on there to claim my name, but that’s it), but Tara Martin is doing amazing things using the app for good. I often think I look at things in an innovative way, but jumping into a new medium to start learning like this seems scary. Check out what all she is doing with #BookSnaps at the initial link or HERE where she updated the post and shared it on Dave Burgess’ blog.

20 Books By Teachers, For Teachers to Inspire Your Teaching by Matt Miller is a great list of books that’s just what it sounds like. Look through the list, find a new book, dig into it over the break, and get pumped up about a great spring semester.

When They Don’t Drink The Cool Aid by Brent Clarkson challenges us to help others get connected. So many write about the benefits of being connected, but Brent’s challenge is just what we need to help welcome others into this whole connected experience.

The Awkward Beauty of Inverted Leadership by Mark McCord is about the ways we need to rethink our traditional understanding of what exactly we expect a leader to look like and act like. His post asks nothing short of a paradigm shift from us, so beware that there are no quick fixes offered here.

Dinner with a Gentlemen by Todd Nesloney wraps up the list with a bit of inspiration. I won’t spoil it here, but when you’re having an off day, a day when you might wonder “Why am I doing this?” or “Does this work even matter?” to yourself, take time to read the post.

Before you go, don’t forget to take a moment to share a post that’s worth rereading in the comments. Thanks in advance for the great stuff you’ll pass along!

Ed Leadership

Why Do We Do That?

Posted on October 27, 2016by Aaron Hogan

I’ve got a little story for you.

It’s Christmas, and it’s the first time the family is having dinner away from the home they grew up in. The cook (not the matriarch of the family) is preparing the roast to cook, and the first thing he does is cut off the ends. He puts it in the pan, it cooks, it’s prepared to be served, and then comes the question. His mom asks, “Why did you cut off the ends?”

A little unsettled, he replies, “That’s what you always did when you cooked it, mom.”

She laughs, and he begins to get a little worried. After her laughter subsides, she shares why: “We only cut the ends off because we didn’t have a pan big enough to fit the whole roast.”

And just like that, the dreaded TTWADDI has reared his head.

blzufnecqaep5v7 — Credit goes to Amy Mayer (friEdTechnology) for this memorable image!

ANY SIGHTINGS AT YOUR SCHOOL?

Now think about your school. Why do we do things the way that we do them?

With some things, there are good reasons.

Maybe we do things that way because it’s best for kids or because it keeps people safe at school.

But with other things, I imagine that we don’t always have a great reason for what we’re doing. With many things, probably more than we’d like to admit, we’ve never even thought about why we’re doing what we’re doing.

I think it’s time that we start thinking seriously about what we’ve not thought about before.

What opportunities are we missing because we've never taken the time to look at why we do what we do?

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Typically I’m not one to make suggestions without offering solutions, but my goal is a bit different here. I want us to think of what we haven’t been thinking of. I want us to spend a bit of time exploring the gaps in conversations. Yes, eventually it’s important that we come to some conclusions, and I’m invested in that conversation as well. But I think it’s worth taking a step back from time to time and sharing a few ideas about what school could actually look like if we shook off the force of habit that has a strong hold on many of our practices.

So here are a few ideas I’m trying to rethink. I have some thoughts on solutions, but I’ll save those for another day.

Ideas I’m trying to rethink:

If we want our teachers to develop best instructional practices, why do we depend so heavily on whole group instruction for professional development?
If time out isn’t a good option for discipline in the classroom, why is ISS such a common consequence for behavior?
Why are we so hesitant to share our ideas with other educators? Why not connect more with others? Why not try to do that in new ways?
If we know that learning is often a messy, non-linear process, why is learning so often divided up into 6 or 7 or 8 period days?
If we know that learning happens at varying rates for various students, why are six weeks grading periods so commonly followed?

What are YOU going to rethink? What do we need to reconsider in education? What have we done the same way for too long?

Share your ideas in the comments!

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#IMMOOC

Leading with an Innovator’s Mindset #IMMOOC

Posted on September 28, 2016September 28, 2016by Aaron Hogan

One of my goals this year is to help create a culture of innovation and risk taking on the campus I serve. My last post highlights why that’s so valuable to me, so I won’t retread that conversation here.

Innovation, creativity, and change are not ushered in through announcements. Most of what is worthwhile in education just isn’t brought about that way. But that’s left me wondering this: In my role as an assistant principal, what do I need to do to make our campus a place where innovation and risk taking are embraced?

My first answer is that I need to practice what I preach (meaning I better be taking some risks myself if I want them to).

I wrote recently about how we often position ourselves in the safest positions in education. What do I mean by that? We find all the symbolism and then lead the discussion. We work all the problems and then share them with the class. We find all the pitfalls and then carefully avoid them as we lead instruction.

While it’s good to provide solid examples, I think it promotes an “I have it all together” attitude and persona that is really detrimental to a growth and innovator’s mindset.

So I think it’s worth our time to look at ourselves as learners in light of these eight characteristics that George Couros claims are essential to an Innovator’s Mindset. Here’s a great graphic from Sylvia Duckworth that outlines the eight characteristics.

I’m a big believer in the idea that models accelerate learning. But although modeling well is crucial for our success and the success of others (especially as innovators), I think we’re fooling ourselves if we believe that being a model is enough to lead widespread innovative change on any significant scale.

For me, the problem is that I feel really comfortable reading a book like The Innovator’s Mindset, determining what I need to do to grow and innovate, and letting that be my method for bringing about change. In the long run, I think it will bring about some change, and it’s certainly better than letting the status quo roll forward for another year. But I think we can do better.

Realizing that modeling alone cannot be my answer, I kept coming back to this question, “What can leaders do to cultivate an Innovator’s Mindset in both themselves & among those they lead?”

Not surprisingly, that’s not a quick question to answer.

I tried to tackle it as a big question, but I just couldn’t. Innovation is so intricately layered and multi faceted in many ways that I couldn’t manage it as one big, huge question. So my answer to the question above is broken down into the 25 questions below. Each is tied to a particular element of Couros’ 8 Characteristics of an Innovator’s Mindset.

What can leaders do to cultivate an Innovator's Mindset in both themselves & among those they lead?

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What follows is really a reframing of chapter 3 in George Couros’ book The Innovator’s Mindset. Where his recommendations (at least upon my reading) are for teachers setting up innovative learning spaces for students, I’ve tried to draw out what will challenge me to be a better leader on my campus. It’s not a linear list; don’t try to do all this in one PD day. But as you plan for your year and ask your teachers to be innovative, remember to hold yourself to the same standard.

25 Questions for Creating an Innovative Campus Culture

Empathetic
- What did I want from my leaders when I was in the classroom?
- In what ways am I the leader who frustrated me?
- Do I lead PD that I would want to attend? Do I offer any PD that I could sell tickets for? (With special thanks to Dave Burgess for inspiration…)
Problem finders
- Where have I asked for a linear solution to a messy, complicated problem?
- How can I provide structures that validate messy, non-linear professional learning?
- Where am I providing too many answers and robbing teachers of the opportunity to become problem finders?
- How will I develop a clear understanding of teacher needs?
Risk-Takers
- What are the best opportunities for growth you are doing for teachers on your campus? Compare what were you doing two years ago with what’s new this year. Consider opportunities for innovation.
- Where are the areas in greatest need on innovative change on campus? (And don’t just ask yourself. Ask your teachers this, too.)
- What are you doing as you lead professional learning that was happening 10 years ago? There’s probably an opportunity to innovate on your list. What will you change first?
Networked
- How are you learning about the awesome things that are happening in classrooms and on campuses across your campus? Your district? Your country?
- How are you using connections to other educators online to improve professional development on your campus?
- If collaboration is important to you, how are you creating time for it to happen during scheduled professional development?
Observant
- Dream big–What would it look like for your school to become a model of innovation for your community, even to those outside the education world?
- Where do you get your inspiration from inside the education world? What about outside sources?
- How are you giving teachers the necessary autonomy for innovation to occur on your campus? Is this the model you want teachers to follow for students?
Creators
- If “learning is creation, not consumption,” how do your PD sessions allow for teachers to create as they learn?
- What could teachers create during PD to show their learning?
- What have you flipped in your professional development? How might this be beneficial to professional learning?
Resilient
- Change is uncomfortable for many. What pushback should innovative leaders anticipate?
- What barriers can you take down for teachers who want to be innovative on your campus?
- As you move through the change process, how will you invite and provide space for teacher feedback?
Reflective
- How will you inspire others to be more reflective about their professional learning?
- Reflection will draw out failures, and failure is scary. How will you recognize the role of failure and welcome it into the larger conversation about innovation?
- Leading well is tough. How will you be innovative about your support system as you lead others toward innovative change?

I’ll be writing more about my own journey with innovation over the next few weeks as part of this MOOC (massive open online course) centered around George Couros’ book The Innovator’s Mindset. I’ll also share throughout the year as I try to innovate and help others do the same. Check out the #IMMOOC hashtag to see some conversation about innovation in education.

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#IMMOOC

Why Educators Must Innovate #IMMOOC

Posted on September 22, 2016by Aaron Hogan

Take a look at this image.

Do you know what you’re looking at?

That’s what they were stealing in the first Fast and the Furious movie in 2001.

That’s crazy to me. They could have filled that thing with anything they wanted, any technology imaginable, and they filled it with a bunch of VCRs, TV/VCRs, and camcorders. I remember watching the movie and being totally enthralled. It was entirely believable and absolutely appropriate for them to be chasing down a Semi-Truck full of this stuff, but when you look at it now, it’s laughable.

I mean, really… a 13″ TV/VCR is front and center.

If that’s not enough, check out the storage for the plans they used:

Obviously a lot can change in 15 years.

We all know this, but these images put that reality into perspective for me. It makes me wonder about things. It make me ask myself, “If that’s what was on the movie of the summer, what was in our classrooms? How much has changed with technology? What about in our classrooms?”

Why innovate?

Here’s my worry: Schools that don’t innovate are going to look like this, and it likely won’t take 15 years to happen. In all likelihood, it’s probably happening more places than we’d like to admit right now.

If we don’t change, we’re going to end up looking like that picture appears to us now–irrelevant, a relic of the past. For some (maybe even many) what we were doing now will be nearly unrecognizable in the not so distant future. In hindsight, some of what we understood as best practice not too long ago seems that way.

We can’t control the fact that our schools will continue to grow, but if we don’t start getting some movement now and gaining momentum today, we’re going to end up so big and so settled in that our own inertia will keep us from moving forward. With each day that passes without innovation, we only make it harder to make change happen in the future.

So what can we do?

I love the simple definition that George Couros shares often of innovation.

It’s not about the tools. Not about the technology. Not about an app or about a device or even necessarily about anything that might be considered forward thinking otherwise.

His definition? It’s innovative if it’s new and better.

I like that. It opens things up for me in a way that’s really helpful and encourages me to consider some ideas I’m trying as a little more innovative than I would have at first glance.

It makes all sorts of things (not just what’s technologically cutting edge) an innovative effort, and the desire to innovate under this definition prompts me to be always looking forward.

I need that push to make sure I’m not getting comfortable. I think we all do.

Because so much is changing so often, educators have a choice to make: change or be changed. I, for one, prefer to take an active role (as much as is possible) in that process.

What are you doing this year to be innovative?

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Vulnerability

Everyday Vulnerability

Posted on September 20, 2016September 20, 2016by Aaron Hogan

This post was initially published here on the LeadUpNow blog.

“Vulnerability is not weakness, rather it is our most accurate measurement of courage and the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” – Brené Brown

I have a confession to make: Even with all the conversation out there about risk taking and vulnerability and the benefits of failure, I keep looking for safe risks to take.

I nod along, agree that it would be great to take risks (especially if I were someone who was more willing to take those on), and then move forward not sure about how exactly that is going to change anything for me at work the next week (you know, other than the things I’ll tweet, right?).

I think that Brené Brown has it right when she claims that “Vulnerability is not weakness, rather it is our most accurate measurement of courage and the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” I don’t think many would argue with her, but agreeing with her and implementing change based on that reality are two different things.

So, what do we do differently?

I’m not your magic eight ball, but I do know two things about myself that complicate my relationship with vulnerability in my work: I tend to put myself in the safe place and ask others to be vulnerable, and I often consider vulnerability as a thing that I can put on my calendar–a task to be completed.

The reality is that this sort of reflection, although it can be productive, really stretches me in an uncomfortable way. So it’s helpful to keep Brown’s reminder in perspective: This is all worth struggling through because there is great value in students and teachers seeing real “innovation, creativity, and change” as part of their learning experience.

If we want our classrooms and campuses to be places full of innovation, creativity, and change, we have to do better in both of these areas (not just these areas, but that’s all I’m taking on here).

Mistake #1 – We put ourselves in the safest places

It’s often our habit (at least I hope it wasn’t just my habit) to want to look like I have it together in front of the students. As a teacher, I worked hard to make sure that I felt I could answer any and all of the questions that might have come my way about the literature we studied. I was motivated to build student confidence in me, and the result was that I (almost exclusively) operated out of the most secure place in the classroom.

I’m better at identifying my issues than at coming up with solutions, but I don’t think that recognition is enough.

What can we try? Try this. Pick out something new (maybe a short story, an article, a new picture book, a new experiment, or a new math problem you haven’t worked before) and tackle it in front of your students students as a first time learner. Talk about it like a first time learner–with a little less polish, a little more guesswork, and with the mistakes that come with learning something new displayed front and center.

Doing this isn’t magic. Your students aren’t going to leap out of their desks with a newfound growth mindset and be ready to take on the world, but I do think that stepping into the vulnerability that comes with learning in a public setting like this will help demystify some of the process for students. That, over time, will have an impact. They’ll know you aren’t perfect, they’ll see that you struggle too, and they’ll know how to overcome those struggles they come across as learners.

Mistake #2 – We see vulnerability as event instead of a mindset

The first mistake seems easier for me to tackle. The second is that I end up doing one or two of those things to fix the first mistake, and then I check vulnerability off the to do list for the week.

Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying it’s your job to constantly be including others in all of your business and over share.

What I do think is this: For us to create the schools we want our kids educated in, we’re going to have to do things differently. That’s going to take some calculated, researched risks, and implementing those will not only cause others to question us, but it will also result in their questions being warranted and their worries about the down side turning out to be accurate at times. We have to be ok with that. We cannot allow ourselves to think that a couple of risk taking opportunities are enough to get us all the way to “innovation, creativity, and change.” If we want that, we have to do more.

This isn’t a “do these steps” sort of answer. Nor is it one that can be fully answered in isolation (at least in my opinion). But, in community with some folks you trust, it is one that can and should be wrestled with, considered, reconsidered, and answered over time.

That’s what that everyday vulnerability looks like.

I need the reminder to correct course on each of these mistakes, and I hope you’re able to push the students in your classroom and on your campus toward “innovation, creativity, and change” in real ways this year by doing the same.

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